Fuse box



F. C. HUSH FUSE BOX Filed July 27. 1929 fss Ci ua/i,

' Broadly speaking, I accomplish my obhe contactblock thereis a fuseblock 25 which Patented Nov. 1 1 932 1 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOSSG. HUSH, F LINCOLN, NEBRASKA FUSE BOX Application filed July 27, 1929.Serial No. 381,444.

My invention is concerned with boxes or box which I use may varyconsiderably, but casings adapted to contain fuses and electriprefer toemploy a box such as is shown cal apparatus such as meters. Such boxes111. my co-pending application Serial No. are frequently used out ofdoors, and must 329,798 filed Jan. 2, 1929. This application 5 bedesigned in such a manner that they Will hSClOSBS a two-part box, onepart of which is 55 b th f d ill t t th adapted to be secured to asupport such as paratus from unauthorized tampering. It apole l0 andcomprises a back 11, top 12, and is frequently desirable, however, thatthe a bottom 13. The other box-part is a removfuscs be accessible topersons from whom the le Cover 14 which has front and id ll remainder ofapparatus in the box should be n a bottom flange adapted to overlie theprotected bottom 13. Secured to the back of the box It i th bj t f my iti t r d c 1s a panel 15 upon which the meter or other such a box whichis adapted to enclose fuses pparatus may be mounted. and a meter orother electrical apparatus and Xtending forwardly from the ba k f th toconstruct the box in such a manner that h X at a distance above thebottom is a ta- 05 access can be had to the fuses while the meter naryContact block adapted to su po t th l t i l apparatus remains terminals21, which are ordinarily connected tected from tampering. A furtherobject of o the hue and to the meter, and contacts 22 my invention is toprovide a box in which wh ch are conveniently similar to those ordithefuses, when accessible, will be completearily used in the usual form ofknife switch. 79 1y disconnected and free from association The outer endof the contact blo k 20 y with any current-carrying wires, so that thebe supported by a bracket 23 extending u fuses may be inspected orchanged without W r ly from the box-bottom 13. dangen Movable into andout of association with jects by mounting the meter and all theeleecarries in any convenient manner one or more trical Wiring withinthe box, the wiring infuses 26. As shown in the drawing, these eludingcontacts with which the fuses are es a e supported in clips 27 of theusual to be connected, and I mount the fus in form, such clips beingrespectively connected so a movable support hi h can b ithd to contacts28 adapted to engage the station- 30 from the box, such withdrawalserving to my contacts 22 on the contact block 20 when break theelectrical connections between the the fuse block is in operativeposition. I fuses and the wiring within the box. Deprovide, preferablyin the bottom 13 of the sirably, I provide the box with a removable box,an opening through which the fu cover which may be locked in place inorder block and the fuses carried thereby may 85 that an unauthorizedperson may not obbe withdrawn. Associated with this opentain access tothe interior of the box. mg is a closure in the form of a plate pro- Theaccompanying drawing illustrates vlded with upwardly projecting flangesmy invention: Fig. 1 is a vertical section 31 adapted to extend into theopening. Also through the box parallel to one side-wall Secured to theclosure 30 are one or more up- 90 thereof; Fig 2 is a front elevation ofthe box Wardly projecting rods 32 which guide the in partial sectionshowing the fuse block closure in its movement toward and away and fusesin operative position; Fig. 3 is a from the box opening. The upper endsof the view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the fuse guide rods 32 aresupported for sliding move- I block and fuses withdrawn from the box;merit as by being slidable in tubes 33 located and Fig. 4 is a bottomplan illustrating debehind the panel 15.

tails of the double latch by which the box The rear end of the fuseblock 25 is pivotcover and the fuse block are retained in ally connectedto the guide rods 32, and its place. other end is supported by means ofa link '9 The general constructional features of the 35 WhlCll ispivoted to the front end of the out of doors.

fuse block and to some stationary point conveniently near the front edgeof the box-bottom 13.

The parts are shown in full-lines in Figs. 1 and 2 in the position theynormally occupy, the opening in the box-bottom being closed by theclosure 30, and the contacts 28 on the fuse block being in engagementwith the stationary contacts 252. If the closure 30 is drawn downwardaway from the opening in the box-bottom, the rods 32 move downward withit to lower the rear end of the fuse block 25. his downward movement ofthe rods 32 first serves to tilt the fuse block and move the rearmovable contacts 28 out of engagement with the rear fixed contacts 22;and as downward movement of the rods 32 continues, the front pair ofmovable contacts 28 are moved out of engagement with their associatedfixed contacts. At the lower limit of movement of'the rods 32, as shownin dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 3, the fuse block 25has been turned into a vertical position and completely withdrawn fromthe box, and the fuses are accessible for inspection or replacement.

For the purpose of preventing unauthorized tampering with either thefuses or the apparatus within the box, I may provide the double latchconstruction illustrated in F igs,

1 and 4. That part of this latch construction nearest the front of thebox is similar to the latch shown in my co-pending application abovereferred to. It comprises a latch 36 which is pivoted on the under sideof the box-bottom 13 and which has a downwardly extending ear 37co-operating with an ear 38 secured to the cover 14 of the box. The cars37 and 38, which overlap when the latch is closed, are provided withalined holes adapted to receive the hasp of the padlock 39. Thisconstruction is substantially identical with thatshown in my co-pendingapplication.

To retain the closure 30 in closed position, I provide-a pivoted bar 41which is pivotally secured to the box-bottom 13, desirably coaxiallywith the pivotal mounting of the latch 36. This bar 41 extendsrearwardly beneath theclosure 30 and normally prevents its withdrawal.It may be swung from the full-line to the dotted-line position shown inFig. 4, however, to permit the closure to be moved downwardly. The bar41 may be provided with a downwardly extending ear 42 adjacent to asimilar ear 43 on the rearwardly extending end of the latch 36. The ears42 and 43, like the cars 37 and 38, are provided with alined holes forthe reception of the hasp of the padlock 45.

My box is especially suited to use in rural electrification, where it isfrequently desired to mount the meters of individual power users l/Vhenso used, the power user is supplied with a key to the padlock 45, and

the power company retains the key to the lock 39. Normally both locksare locked, and no unauthorized individual can obtain access to any ofthe apparatus within the box. Should the user desire to inspect thefuses, he is only obliged to remove the padlock 45, swing the bar 41 tothe dotted-line position shown in F ig. 4, and draw the closure 30downward by means of a handle 47 which may be provided thereon. Thislowering of the closure 30 and the rods 32 which move with it, draws thefuse block 25 completely out of the box into the position shown indotted-lines in Fig. 1 and in full-lines in Fig. 2. When the fuses areout of the box, there is no connection between them and any of thewiring in the box, and they therefore may be safely handled with outdanger. Upward movement of the closure 30 and rods 32 carries the fuseblock and the fuses back into the operative position shown in full-linesin Figs. 1 and 2.

Should a representativeof the power company desire access to the fuses,meter, or any other apparatus contained in the box, the lock 39 isremoved, the latch swung out of engagem ent with the ear 38, and theentire cover 14 of the box is removed. 1 Because of the interconnectionof the latch 35 and the bar 41 provided by the padlock 45, the bar 41swings w th the latch 85, and it is therefore possible, when the latch35 is released, either to with draw the fuses while leaving the cover inplace or to remove the cover.

It will be evident that my box provides an arrangement by means of whichthe fuses may be readily withdrawn from the box and moved into aposition where they are accessible. The remainder of the apparatus wit-hin the box is not rendered accessible to an unauthorized person by thelowering of the fuse block, and access to the inte ior of the box can beobtained only by an authorized indivi dual possessing a key to the lock39. The

' fact that the opening through which the fuses are withdrawn is in thebottom of the box ensures that no water can leak through such opening.

It will be noted that in removing or replacing the fuse block thecontacts 38 are not all simultaneously disengaged from or engaged withthe stationary contacts 22. Instead, the contacts move into or out ofengagement a pair at a time as a result of the fact that the initialmovement of the fuse block in the operation of withdrawal is a tiltingmovement. This is advantageous as it decreases materially the frictionalresistance which otherwise would attend movement of the fuse block. Z Iclaim as my invention:

1. In combination, a casinghaving an opening in its wall, a removable.closure for said opening, a member secured to said closure and extendinginto the casing therefrom, means for guiding said closure and member forsliding movement toward and away from said opening, a contact blockmounted within said casing, contacts on said contact block, a fuseblock, contacts on said fuse block adapted to engage those on thecontact block, one end of said fuse block being pivotally connected tosaid member, and a link pivotally connected to the other end of saidfuse block and pivotally mounted in said box in position to guide suchother end of said fuse block toward said opening as said closure ismoved away from said opening.

2. In combination, a casing, said casing comprising a body portion and aremovable cover, the body portion of said casing being provided with anopening in one wall, electrical contacts within said casing, a movablemember, contacts carried by said movable member and engageable with saidfirst mentioned contacts, a closure for said opening, meansinterconnecting said closure and said member for removing said memberfrom said casing when said closure is moved away from said opening, areleasable fastening member for holding said cover in position, and asecond releasable fastening member for retaining said closure inposition over said opening, said second fastening member being movableto releasing position either independently of or jointly with said firstfastening member.

The combination set forth in claim 1 with the addition that said casingcomprises a body portion and a cover portion, said closure, member,contact block and link being carried by said body portion, and saidcover being removable to expose such parts.

4. In combination, a casing having an opening in its wall, stationarycontacts within 5 said casing, a movable member, contacts carried bysaid movable member and engage able with said first mentioned contacts,a part slidably mounted for rectilinear movement through said opening,one end of said member being pivotally connected to said part, and meansfor guiding the opposite end of said member for movement toward saidopening.

In combination, a casing having an opening in its bottom wall,stationary contacts within said casing, a fuse block, contacts on saidfuse block engageable with said stationary contacts when said fuse blockis in horizontal position within said casing, a closure for saidopening, means for guiding said closure for vertical sliding movement,said closure being operatively connected to said fuse block near one endthereof, whereby that end of the fuse block will be moved downwardlywhen said closure is moved away from said opening, and means for guidingthe other end of said fuse block toward said opening.

6. In combination, a casing having an opening, stationary contactswithin said casing,

a fuse block, contacts on said fuse block, and means for guiding saidfuse block for movement between a position in which its contacts engagesaid stationary contacts and a position in which it is withdrawn fromsaid casing with its contacts exposed, said means comprising a closurefor said opening, means for guiding said closure for sliding movementtoward and away from said open" ing, said closure being operativelyconnected to said fuse block near one end thereof whereby that end ofthe fuse block will be moved toward and through said opening as theclosure is moved away therefrom, and means for guiding the other end ofsaid fuse block toward said opening.

7 In combination, a casing comprising a body portion and a cover, thecover being removable to expose the interior of the body portion, saidbody portion being provided with an opening positioned so as not to becovered by said cover when it is in place, stationary contacts withinsaid casing and carried by said body portion, a fuse block, contacts onsaid fuse block adapted to engage the first-mentioned contacts, andmeans carried by said body portion and including a member movablethrough said opening for withdrawing said fuse block through saidopening to expose the fuse block and the contacts thereon.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Lincoln, Nebraska,this 23d day of July, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine.

FOSS C. HUSH.

